MN State Girls’ Gymnastics Meet Preview

            Both Detroit Lakes (Class A) and Roseville Area (Class AA) return to defend their 2015 titles when the 2016 State Girls’ Gymnastics Meet opens at the Sports Pavilion on the University of Minnesota campus on Friday, Feb. 19. Five other qualifying teams return from last year’s Class A field. In Class AA, five additional teams return from the 2015 field.

            In Class A, two champions return in search of more gold. Jennifer Boyle of Austin is looking to repeat in the uneven bars and Mady Brinkman of Melrose Area is hoping for her second consecutive title in the balance beam.

            In Class AA, Maria McDonough of Faribault is competing for her second consecutive championship in the balance beam.

            Class A Highlights

            The defending champions from Detroit Lakes return with 10 gymnasts who competed in the state meet last year. The Detroit Lakes team includes students from Frazee. Five additional teams that competed in the 2015 team competition also return: Melrose Area, runner-up; Watertown-Mayer/Mound-Westonka, third; Becker, fifth; Austin, sixth; and Worthington, which includes students from Adrian and Fulda, seventh. The other qualifying teams are Mankato West and Mahtomedi.

            Nine of 30 event medal-winners will return for the 2016 Class A individual competition.

            Maddie Mullenbach of Austin, who placed fifth last year, is the only returning medalist in the floor exercise.

            Defending champion Jennifer Boyle of Austin leads three returning medal-winners in the uneven bars competition. Carly Breitenfeldt of Perham and Mady Brinkman of Melrose Area, who placed third and fourth in 2015, respectively, also return.

            Teammates Mady Brinkman and Kayla Austing of Melrose Area both return in the balance beam. Brinkman took championship honors in 2015 and Austing placed fifth.

            Haley Mottinger of Willmar is the single returning medalist in the vault. She is looking to improve on last year’s runner-up showing.

            Mady Brinkman of Melrose Area leads the field in the all-around. She placed second last year and will face tough competition from Maddie Mullenbach of Austin. Mullenbach placed fifth in 2015.

            Class AA Highlights

            Roseville Area returns as the four-time defending champion and the Raiders return four gymnasts from last year’s team. In addition to Roseville Area, five other teams also return from the 2015 field: St. Cloud Tech, which includes students from St. Cloud Cathedral, runner-up; Lakeville North, third; East Ridge of Woodbury, fourth; Champlin Park, fifth; and Cambridge-Isanti, seventh. Owatonna and Eden Prairie are the final qualifying teams.

            Twelve of 30 event medal-winners in 2015 will return for 2016 Class AA individual competition.

            Defending champion Maria McDonough of Faribault returns in search of more gold in the balance beam. Kayla Soplata of Roseville Area, who placed fourth last year, also returns.

            Andrea Gessner of Centennial of Circle Pines leads a field of four returning qualifiers in the vault competition. Gessner earned runner-up honors in 2015. The other returning medal-winners are: Liz Hammond of Champlin Park, fourth; Josey Schlie of Rosemount, fifth; and Sophie Redding of Henry Sibley of Mendota Heights, sixth.

            Lauren Stitch of Eden Prairie and Lara Aycock of St. Cloud Tech return in the uneven bars. They placed fourth and fifth last year, respectively.

            Two medalists return in the floor exercise: Josey Schlie of Rosemount, runner-up; and Andi Puls of Wayzata, tied for sixth.

            Jessica Strecker of Roseville Area and Megan Trollen of East Ridge are the only two medal-winners retuning in the all-around. Strecker placed fourth last year and Trollen finished sixth.

            Schedule and Tickets

            The meet is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Feb. 19 and 20, at the Sports Pavilion on the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis. Team competition is scheduled for Friday, with Class A competition beginning at 11 a.m. and Class AA competition beginning at 6 p.m. The identical time schedule will be followed for Saturday's individual and all-around events, with Class A beginning in the morning and Class AA beginning in the evening.

            Tickets for the meet are available at the Sports Pavilion. Adult tickets cost $12.00 per session and student tickets cost $8.00 per session.

           

            Webcast

            The entire state meet — team competition on the 19th and individual competition on the 20th — will be webcast live on pay-per-view at Prep45.com. The cost is $6.97 per day or $10.97 for both days.

U of M “M” Club Announces 2014 Hall of Fame Class

The University of Minnesota “M” Club, one of the nation’s oldest varsity letterwinner organizations, today announced the latest class of inductees into the club’s Hall of Fame. This year’s class will be officially inducted into the Hall of Fame at a ceremony in the DQ Club Room at TCF Bank Stadium on October 9 starting at 6 p.m.

“Everyone who earns a coveted ‘M’ as a varsity letterwinner at Minnesota has accomplished something exceptional,” said George Adzick, director of the “M” Club. “Those who are being inducted into the ‘M’ Club Hall of Fame this year are joining an extraordinary group, those whose achievements surpassed exceptional and became an integral part of the history of Gopher Athletics.”

With the addition of 13 new inductees in this year’s class, the “M” Club Hall of Fame now has 319 members representing student-athletes from 27 different varsity sports, as well as coaches and administrators.

This year’s class includes:

·         Laura Halldorson (Women’s Hockey Head Coach) – three-time National Champion and three-time National Coach of the Year

·         Quincy Lewis (Men’s Basketball) – All-American, Big Ten scoring champion, top six all-time in program history for points and steals

·         Pat Micheletti (Men’s Hockey) – All-American, second all-time in program history for goals and points, third all-time in assists

·         Tanya Schuh (Women’s Swimming) – Nine-time All-American, six-time Big Ten champion, Big Ten Athlete of the Year (1996)

·         Bernie Zeruhn (Men’s Swimming) – Second-most decorated swimmer in Minnesota history, 17-time All-American, three-time Big Ten individual champion

·         Bill Light (Football) – Two-time First Team All-Big Ten selection, graduated as program’s all-time leading tackler, still holds single-game and single-season tackle records

·         Keita Cline (Men’s Track and Field) – Five-time Big Ten champion, two-time All-American and two-time Olympian

·         Kari Blank (Softball) – First softball player in school history to be named three-time All-Big Ten, co-Big Ten Player of the Year (1991)

·         George Tuck (Men’s Basketball) – First All-American basketball player at Minnesota, led team to 29 consecutive victories to begin his career

·         Frank McCormick (Baseball Head Coach, Director of Athletics) – Led baseball team to a pair of Big Ten titles as head coach while also serving as director of athletics, left Minnesota to serve in World War II and returned following the war

·         Bob Hanning (Men’s Gymnastics) – Two-time All-American, Minnesota’s first-ever NCAA Champion gymnast (parallel bars)

·         Jim Hill (Men’s Swimming) – Two-time NCAA Champion, including both an individual championship (150 backstroke) and a relay championship (300 medley relay)

·         Ken Haycraft (Football) – All-American, two-time All-Big Ten, member of 1927 Big Ten Championship team

Each year, the “M” Club assembles a committee of experts to review the accomplishments of letterwinners through the history of Gopher Athletics. This committee, along with former and current coaches, student-athletes and athletics department staff, vote to determine the next class of “M” Club Hall of Fame inductees.

Below are biographical summaries for each inductee in the “M” Club Hall of Fame Class of 2014.

Laura Halldorson (Women’s Hockey Head Coach, 1997-2007) – Halldorson was the first coach in the history of Minnesota’s varsity women’s hockey program. Her team captured the first women’s team national title for Minnesota in any sport in 2000, winning the AWCHA National Championship. It would be the first of three national titles for Halldorson’s Gophers. During her 10 years as head coach, the team won nearly 80 percent of its games and reached the NCAA Frozen Four eight times. For her efforts, Halldorson was recognized as the National Coach of the Year three times.

Quincy Lewis (Men’s Basketball, 1995-99) – Lewis was a standout performer for the Gopher men’s basketball team in the late 1990s, punctuating an outstanding career in 1998-99 by leading the Big Ten in scoring (23.1 points per game) and earning both First Team All-Big Ten and Third Team All-America honors. Lewis finished his career in Maroon and Gold sixth on the program’s all-time scoring list and fourth all-time in steals and was chosen in the first round of the 1999 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz. He played a 10-year professional career, including four seasons in the NBA.

Pat Micheletti (Men’s Hockey, 1983-86) – Micheletti was one of the greatest scorers in the history of Gopher men’s hockey. He ranks second all-time in goals (120) and points (269), trailing only the great John Mayasich in the record books. Micheletti is also third all-time in assists (149). His 96 points in 1984-85 were the second-highest single-season total in program history and earned him a collection of accolades, including First Team All-WCHA, First Team All-America and a spot as a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.

Tanya Schuh (Women’s Swimming, 1994-97) – Schuh was a six-time Big Ten champion, capturing titles in multiple events, including the 100 and 200 butterfly. In 1996, Schuh was not only named Big Ten Swimmer of the Year, she was named Big Ten Athlete of the Year. The nine-time All-American set school records in both the 100 and 200 butterfly, as well as a Big Ten record in the 100. In addition to her accomplishments at the U, Schuh also competed on the Brazilian National Team for five years.

Bernie Zeruhn (Men’s Swimming, 1993-96) – Zeruhn earned 17 All-America honors in his career, the second-most for any swimmer in Minnesota history. He set school records in the 200, 500 and 1,000 freestyle, as well as the 200 fly. He captured three Big Ten individual titles in 1996, winning the 200 and 500 freestyle and the 200 butterfly. While conquering competition in the pool that year, Zeruhn also earned Academic All-American status.

Bill Light (Football, 1969-71) – Light was the Gophers’ all-time leading tackler when he graduated. Presently third on the all-time list, Light will forever hold the record for most tackles in the three-year eligibility era. His 32 tackles in a game and 172 in a season both remain the most all-time in Gopher history. Light was a First Team All-Big Ten selection at linebacker in both 1970 and 1971 and served as team captain his senior season.

Keita Cline (Men’s Track and Field, 1992-95) – Cline was an exceptional long-jumper and triple-jumper, winning five Big Ten championships in those events. As a senior in 1995, Cline won both the Big Ten indoor and outdoor long jump title as well as the indoor triple jump, his third championship in the event in four years. Cline was a two-time All-American at Minnesota before competing for the British Virgin Islands at both the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics.

Kari Blank (Softball, 1988-92) – Blank became the first player in Minnesota softball history to be named All-Big Ten three times, which included First Team All-Big Ten honors in both 1991 and 1992. Her banner season came in 1991, when she was named team MVP and an All-American for her contributions to the 1991 Big Ten Championship team. That season, Blank became one of just two players in the program’s history to be named conference player of the year when she earned co-Big Ten Player of the Year recognition.

George Tuck (Men’s Basketball, 1902-05) – After a standout career at Minneapolis Central High School, Tuck became the first star of Gopher Men’s Basketball. In 1905, Tuck was named an All-American, the first in the history of the Minnesota program and, along with Chris Steinmetz of Wisconsin, the first in the history of the Big Ten. The Gophers won the first 29 games of Tuck’s collegiate career, ultimately compiling a 45-9-1 mark during his time with the team.

Frank McCormick (Baseball Head Coach, Director of Athletics) – McCormick may be best known for his leadership of the athletics department from 1932-41 and from 1945-50, but he was also an assistant football coach and the head baseball coach for the Gophers from 1930-41, leading the baseball team to the 1933 and 1935 Big Ten titles. His accomplishments as a coach earned him a spot in the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. In addition to his service to the University in multiple key roles, McCormick also served his nation in World War II, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Following the war, McCormick returned to the U of M and his position as director of athletics.

Bob Hanning (Men’s Gymnastics, 1938-40) – Hanning won both the Big Ten and NCAA Parallel Bars championships in 1940, making him the first Gopher gymnast to ever capture a national title. His performance at the NCAA Championships capped his second consecutive All-American season.

Jim Hill (Men’s Swimming, 1925-27) – After finishing the 1925 season as the NCAA runner-up in the 150 backstroke, Hill rebounded and captured the NCAA Championship in the event in 1926. In addition to his individual accomplishments, Hill also played a key role on the 300 medley relay team that won the NCAA Championship for Minnesota in 1927, meaning that Hill placed in the top-two in at least one event at every NCAA meet in which he competed during his college career.

Ken Haycraft (Football, 1926-28) – Haycraft established himself as a dominate end in 1927, when he earned First Team All-Big Ten status as part of the Gophers’ Big Ten Championship team. He followed that campaign by earning First Team All-Big Ten honors again and also being named a First Team All-American. After his collegiate career, Haycraft played professionally for the Green Bay Packers and won an NFL Championship in 1930.

State Girls’ Gymnastics Meet

Perham, which is the eight-time defending Class A champion, returns in search of more gold when the 2012 State Girls’ Gymnastics Meet opens at the Sports Pavilion on the University of Minnesota campus on Friday, Feb. 24. Three other qualifying teams also return from last year’s Class A field. In Class AA, five teams, including the two-time defending champions from Northfield, return from the 2011 field.

Two Class AA individual champions also return to defend their titles. Meaghan Howell of Northfield is looking for her second consecutive title on the uneven bars and Julia Stedman of North, North St. Paul, is seeking her consecutive title in the floor exercise.

New individual champions will emerge in all of the Class A events.

Class A Highlights

Eight-time defending champion Perham returns with six of the Yellowjackets’ gymnasts who competed in the state meet last year. Three additional teams that competed in the 2011 team competition also return: Melrose Area, third; New Prague, fourth; and Breck School of Golden Valley, sixth. The other qualifying teams are Austin, Jackson County Central, the co-op of Rush City/Pine City/Hinckley/Finlayson, and Big Lake.

Ten of 30 event medal-winners will return for the 2012 Class A individual competition.

Mikayla Dockendorf of Sartell-St. Stephen, who earned runner-up honors last year, is one of four returning competitors in floor exercise. The other returning medalists are: Hailey Brinkman of Melrose Area, third; Sarah Hoffman of New Prague, fourth; and Laura Jore of Big Lake, sixth.

Jessica Stelter of Detroit Lakes is the only returning qualifier in the uneven bars. She placed fifth in 2011.

In the balance beam competition, two medal-winners return: Brinkman of Melrose Area placed third and Libby Lee of Breck School finished sixth.

Sydnee Donnelli of Jackson County Central and Tara Svalland of Worthington are the only two medalists returning in the vault. Donnelli placed fifth in 2011 and Svalland tied for sixth.

Brinkman, who placed third last year, is the only returning medal-winner in the all-around competition.

Class AA Highlights

Northfield, which includes students from Cannon Falls and Randolph, returns as the two-time defending champion. The Raiders return seven gymnasts from last year’s team. In addition to Northfield, four other teams also return from the 2011 field: Roseville Area, runner-up; Park of Cottage Grove, third; Cambridge-Isanti, fourth; and St. Cloud Tech, which includes students from St. Cloud Cathedral, sixth. The other qualifying teams are Lakeville North, Stillwater Area, and Minnetonka.

Fifteen of 30 event medal-winners in 2011 will return for 2012 Class AA individual competition.

Emily Guimont of Edina is the only returning medalist in the balance beam. She placed third last year.

Julia Stedman of North, North St. Paul, who earned runner-up honors in 2011, is the highest returning medal-winner in the vault competition. Three other medalists also return; Mackenzie Dent of Eden Prairie, third; Leah Robinette of East Ridge of Woodbury, fourth; and Kasondra Tulloch of Park, fifth.

Four medal-winners, including defending champion Meaghan Howell of Northfield, return on the uneven bars. The others are: Tulloch, runner-up; Robinette, fourth; and Kellie Dougherty of White Bear Lake Area, fifth.

Stedman of North, who captured the top honor last year, is the highest returning medalist in the floor exercise. Three other medal-winners also return: Rachel Deephouse of Park, third; Dent, fourth; and Tulloch, sixth.

Tulloch and Stedman are the only returning medalists in the all-around competition. They placed second and fourth, respectively, in 2011.

Schedule & Tickets

The meet is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Feb. 24 and 25, at the Sports Pavilion on the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis. Team competition is scheduled for Friday, with Class A competition beginning at 11 a.m. and Class AA competition beginning at 6 p.m. The identical time schedule will be followed for Saturday's individual and all-around events, with Class A beginning in the morning and Class AA beginning in the evening.

Tickets for the meet are available at the Sports Pavilion. Adult tickets cost $12.00 per session and student tickets cost $8.00 per session.

The entire state meet — team competition on the 24th and individual competition on the 25th — will be webcast live and free on Prep45.com

A visit to any participating Wells Fargo metro location can yield a $2 discount coupon for students 13 and younger. The discount coupons are also available for the following tournaments: Girls’ Hockey, Class A Boys’ Hockey, and Girls’ and Boys’ Basketball.